July 29, 2013

Husband's Grilled Chicken

We like to cook a few meals ourselves on vacation to make sure we eat something that's good for us once in a while. Otherwise, it's just ice cream 24/7, with a few breaks in between for fried fish and doughnuts.

Husband was craving grilled chicken, so he concocted this marinade while I was sleeping late one morning. There's nothing like waking up at 9 a.m. to sizzling bacon and dinner half completed. I grilled up that chicken the following night while sipping a gin and tonic. With buttered green beans and corn on the cob, the kids were all smiles!

Husband's Grilled Chicken

This recipe is totally customizable. Swap out the herbs for what you have on hand. Use different vinegar. Use lemon juice instead of lime. Just let the chicken marinate at least overnight so the flavors can penetrate.

For the marinade, purée all but the 2-inch pieces of scallions and oil in the blender. Through the hole in the lid, add the oil in a steady stream and blend until emulsified. Pour into a large gallon-sized storage bag (do yourself a favor and set the bag in a large bowl beforehand so it doesn't tip and spill all over the floor). Add the reserved scallion pieces and the chicken to the bag. Seal and set in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, jostling periodically to redistribute the chicken and marinade.

Over hot coals, grill the chicken uncovered until nicely browned on all sides and cooked through. The time depends on how hot your fire is. I did about 20 minutes for drumsticks, turning every 5 minutes or so, and about 12 minutes for the wings. You want an internal temperature of 160°F, but you're not going to find a thermometer at your rental house, and you're not going to go out and buy one, either. The best thing to do is to cut into the thickest part of one of the larger pieces to make sure that the meat is cooked all the way to the bone. If the skin browns before the meat is cooked through, just move those pieces toward the outside of the grill to continue cooking over indirect heat. Enjoy!